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MIDDLE EARTH — My family watches "Lord of the Rings" together at least once a year, and it's almost impossible to get through the movies without someone asking this question: "Why didn't they just fly the eagles to Mordor?"
I know other Lord of the Rings fans have asked this question, but I didn't realize how old the question might be before seeing this video. Author J.R.R. Tolkien got the question frequently, from pubs visits to regular fan mail, or so the voice in this video says.
I thought I knew the answer. Obviously, the story would have been pretty short, and not nearly as entertaining, if all they did was ask the eagles for a ride. If they simply used the eagles, there are so many great things that would be missed. (I tried to list them, but my list got way too long.)
More recently, I read Tolkien's "The Silmarillion," which gave me a little more insight into why the eagles should not be used as transportation. They were created by Manwë, the king of the Valar, who was thought into existence by Ilúvatar, the omnipotent god. These eagles didn't live in Middle Earth but were sent from Valinor to watch Middle Earth. Even Gandalf wouldn't just ask the eagles — that come when, and if, they want to.
This video claims that both of these answers are wrong. The answer the voice of Tolkien gives in the video is a lot simpler ... and quite hilarious. Watch the video to see what I mean.
There's no guarantee that this is Tolkien speaking, there are so many theories online that searching to find an answer from Tolkien is almost impossible. But I do think this may be the best answer.
It is, after all, a lot more fitting for those occasions when someone asks the question while my family is watching the movie.
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